I'm sitting in my back-yard in the sun enjoying a cup of tea. I've been awake for a long time. The thought of swimming is ever present.
I have toyed with the ides of not going to Eton to do the Ultra-Fit tri but you lot have convinced me that I can do it.
So I'm going to jump on the bike in a bit and cycle down there. 1000m swim. It is make or break in my eyes. If its no better than last week, its the end of Triathlon for me. I'm sick of feeling like this.
It was the day of my first Triathlon today. The Eton Supersprint. 400m swim, 20.4km ride and the a 5km run.
Our car is broken so I had to cycle the 30 miles to the start of the race. Not the ideal preparation but a nice warm up. I actually enjoyed it. It was cold but clear and I didn't get lost. I managed to get all my gear in my Etape rucksac but the strap decided to break after a couple of miles. I tied it up and it survived the rest of the journey. Cheap French rubbish.
I got there at 9:20 so had a long time to wait until the 10:45 start. I had no idea what I was meant to do so copied everyone else. By 10 my bike was racked, I'd had a coffee and my gear was randomly strewn in front of my bike. I looked around to see what others were doing and tried to copy them. At 10:15, people were putting on their wet suits so I joined them. For the next five minutes, I decided to put on a slapstick performance. First, I put on the wet suit backwards. I then tried to taken it off and fell over. I eventually got it off, turned it around only to put one leg in a leg and the other in an arm. I looked around but thankfully, know one was filming.
I was eventually ready and walked to the start with all the other 40 & 41 year old men (I had been moved to the wrong age group!) and before I knew what was going on, I was floating around in an 11 degree lake wearing a silly hat. We had a briefing, got a countdown, the hooter sounded and we were off. Well, most of the 60 people were off; I just bobbed around trying to breath.
When I did set off I got to 20 meters out and stopped. I could not breath. I was panicking. All I could think of was to get out and quick. I started again but stopped. This was terrible. I watched as the pack disappeared. The support in the boat asked if I was ok. I said no.
I tried again but it wasn't happening. Panic is the only word to describe it. The bloke in the boat asked what was wrong and I said I just can't put my face in the water. He said I should just carry on with breast-stroke or front crawl but with my head out so I did. I occasionally did 5 or 6 strokes with my head in water but that resulted in me stopping a bit to try and relax.
I was last at the first buoy but whenever I did proper front crawl, I caught up the back markers in no time. I just could not sustain it. I thought it would never end but I eventually turned around the second buoy and was in the home 120 meter stretch. I had the slowest ever race with another bloke for last place and it ended in a dead heat.
I was gutted. I staggered out of the water after just 10% of the IM distance and I was exhausted. At that point, this was going to be my one and only tri. As I got to my bike, I saw a friendly face in Simon. It was great to see him. He said I'd done well and to keep going. I did not hurry through my transition much to Simon's amusement.
I set off on the cycle and I was mad. I never thought it would go this badly. I channeled my aggression into my cycling and tried to keep my speed up, constantly encouraged by Simon on each of the 4 laps. In spite of the wind, I got into a good rhythm, passing some of the people from the swim. I enjoyed all of the cycling passing many people with tri bikes and finishing comfortably inside 40 minutes (I didn't stop my watch).
My T2 was good and I was out on my run in no time. My legs were tight after the ride and it took about 1km before I picked up the pace. It was 2 loops of an out and back course and I was quicker on each of the four legs. I finished strongly in around 1:20 but I'm not sure exactly what time.
After a long chat to Simon, I decided to just take each event as it comes, get down to Heron lake every chance I get and just try and conquer my fear. I am also seriously thinking of a hypnotist to try and get ride of this panic feeling.
As I lay in bed last night, thinking that Staines was not a very glamorous place to end my life and that drowning was not the way I wanted to go, I really thought there was a possibility that I would have to blog today to say that the Ironman dream was over. I thought that if today went badly, I would at least have time to get some of my money back from Ironman UK.
It was with this positive, up-beat view that I got up at 5:40 and set out down the M4 to Staines and Heron Lake for my first ever swim in a wet suit and my first ever open water swim. I got there at 6:30 and met up with Simon, my mentor for the morning. He's a good friend who did the UK Ironman in 2008 so is well placed to advise me.
As I parked up, I saw there were already people in the water and it just looked odd. I've never seen a triathlon so it was all very new. I put on my wetsuit on top of a pair of Kraft shorts and a compression top as its what I will be wearing in two weeks time.
All suited up (with my two borrowed swim caps) I followed Simon down the small jetty into the water. It was cold but not too bad. I felt it on my hands and feet but it was OK. That is until I started swimming. As soon as I put my head in the water in was freezing. It took my breath away and I had a little panic.
What was brilliant was the wet suit. Everyone had told me that they are really buoyant and keep you afloat and its true. I was not going to die in Staines. I could just stop and float without effort.
From then on, a pattern formed where I would swim about 20 strokes OK but feel more and more stressed and tight-chested forcing me to stop. I'd relax and talk to the extremely patient Simon and then set off again. It was the same feeling as in the pool; not out of breath from a lack of fitness but from a panic or fear or something.
The good news is that my speed seemed OK so I know that as long as I keep going or even reduce the stops down, I can finish the distance. I will now go every week I can and just concentrate on doing slightly longer each time. I will try and increase that 20 stokes to 25 between stops and then 30 and so on.
A huge thank you to Simon for holding my hand (figuratively) around the lake and only spooking me once by hiding behind a buoy. He did laugh when I yelped after something touched my foot (definitely a shark or stingray) but I'll forgive him that.
Its nearly my pay day and I still had some cash so I treated myself to some new pedals. My current left pedal had become problematic and it was very hard to click in. I tried cleaning it and using degreaser but to no avail. So I upgraded slightly to a pair of Look Keo Max 2 in white. They are pretty sexy on the bike.
It took a lot of effort to change them. Firstly, I didn't realise that the left pedal has a reverse thread until I looked on You Tube. Then, they were so tight, I slipped off the allen key and punched my large chain ring leaving 6 large bloody holes in my hand. I eventually had to use my foot and when it loosened, there was a loud crack and I thought I had broken something. I hadn't thankfully.
I got a very kind friend to look after my daughter today so I could go to my swim lesson. It was painful. I don't know why but everything felt wrong. I think it stemmed from my breathing. It was so off that it made the whole session rushed and a bit frantic. Every part of it felt hard. I hope it was just a bad week.
With my wife and eldest daughter still away, its just me and my youngest. I'm trying to fill the days but she has an extremely short fun threshold. We do one thing and its all good but as soon as its finished, the arms fold and the bottom lip comes out. Of course, I don't stand for that but its difficult.
I made the most of the good weather this afternoon and combined exercise with entertainment and took her to Richmond Park for a cycle. It is good, hard work pulling her up the hills and I will do it again on Monday as its either that or the turbo if I want to get some training in.
My confidence during my swim lessons has grown so much but as soon as I get in the 'big pool' at Tooting, it all goes to pot.
Today, I could not get my breathing, hand entry and catch right. I could concentrate on one of the three and the other two would be a mess. The length of the pool makes a huge difference. It is 33 meters where as I have lessons on a 20 meter pool. And I can't use flippers so it seems a long way doing drills. I also still get a little frantic as I go over the deep end but that is getting less each time.
I know that what I consider 'going to pot' now is nothing like it was 2 months ago but I still think about swimming 2.4 miles and wonder how it is ever going to happen. As the family are back next week, I can go to the pool every day from Tuesday to Saturday to get some consistent practice done. It will also be good to get off my knee before the marathon.
One final thing, how cruel is it that its sunny this week. I should have been out cycling every day but I can't and its the most beautiful weather for riding. Sunny and warm, no wind. Arrrghhhh!!!
I had my swimming sessions today. 30 mintues of 1:1 and then the hour group session. I knew I was tired after yesterday's 20 miler but once I got in, I realised just how tired. She had me doing length after length which as so tough but I am still making great progress with my stroke.
Then is was the group session. I say group but there was me and one other; I guess people were enjoying the holiday weekend. So, it was 6 laps of this drill then 6 laps of another. Thankfully, the other guy wasn't a speed demon so I got a little rest before he finished each set of drills.
I'd love to know how many laps I did. I'm pretty sure it was over 60 lengths of the 20 meter pool. No to Devon and cycling.
I had probably my first really good swimming session today. I had my first 1:1 session with Maxine. We spent the first 15 minutes concentrating on legs. I still trash my legs so we did loads of drills about trying to kick from the hips rather than the knees. Also to kick a lot slower so it stabilises rather than propels.
We then did 15 minutes on my hand entry. I enter too far forward with a rigid arm so we did one arm drills to try and get me to drop my hand about level with the elbow of the other outstretched arm, go in thumb first and then go forward just under the water as I rotate. It took a while to get it right but it feels smoother.
The best thing about the session was Maxine saying that "for the first time, you actually look like a swimmer". That made me very happy.
Then it was the hour group lesson where we did basic extension, torpedo, shark fin and finger dragging. I hardly ever felt like I had a stop for a few minutes and catch my breath and didn't want to get out at the end. I'm guessing I swam somewhere between 1km and 1mile, maybe even more which I'm delighted with.
Another hazard of the job of teaching is picking up every cold and lurgy the kids have. I've spent the week feeling absolutely rotten. What with feeling bad and working 12 to 14 hours a day as I approach the end of this placement, training has gone out of the window since my Monday night recovery run.
I got up at 7 today so I could get a few hours work in before my swim lesson. I have a longer swim today as I've booked some half hour 1:1 sessions before my hour group session for the next five Saturday's. I felt I needed a bit of a boost since I'm not managing to get to the pool as often as I'd like. My first tri is fast approaching (7 weeks) so I need to get better sooner.
Another good lesson today. After Thursday's great swim I had a nightmare on Friday morning, probably because I was tired or just the law of averages (for every good session there has to be a bad one). Everything felt so hard so I really wanted a good lesson so keep the momentum.
Today's session was to link timing and rotation. As I understand it, doing the basic extension makes you get used to rotation and shark fin and catch-up helps with the stroke. We added the head-touch drill to keep improving our stroke and then basic extension with a stroke to link rotation and stoke. I really enjoyed it and got a nice comment from the coach that my head position is really good.
This is what we did:
Kick only on front - To practice kicking correctly.
Kick only on back - To practice kicking correctly. Basic Extension (BE) - swim on one side for a length turning head only to breath. Shark fin - BE and tracing thumb up side to point elbow at ceiling. Catch-up - Swimming flat, full stroke, touching hands in front each time. Head touch - Used to keep hand high and aid good hand entry into water.
Full stroke - To put into practice all of the above. BE with switch - Swimming on side with a single stroke ending up on other side.
Full stroke - No flippers.
My stroke is definitely getting better. I really feel that I can pull through the water. My breathing is ok at times but I'm still either holding my breath or taking too deep breaths and both end up with me having to stop.
The training is finally kicking in. The benefits are starting to show with my running speed increasing and feeling a little stronger in the pool.
The downside is that I'm so tired. I keep dozing off. I'm currently sitting with my laptop trying to work but I've fallen asleep three or four times. Admittedly, I'm trying to write a paper on the lack of male teachers in primary education and I'm reading some very dry literature.
I know I need to start getting to bed a bit earlier. I'm not very good at that. I start my second phase of teaching practice in two weeks which is going to wipe me out.
My swimming lesson was really good today. We were doing a drill called catch-up. Its like a full stroke but you keep flatter in the water and touch your hands together outstretched after each stroke. Helps with gliding, being outstretched, being more streamlined and getting into a rhythm. I really enjoyed it and felt my confidence rise a little. Got to decide what to do tomorrow; either a long run (10 miles) or a long cycle (2-3 hours). I'm tempted to cycle as I need to dust the bike down and get out there especially if the weather is ok.
I had my second swimming lesson with SwimForTri today. It started with a few warm-up lengths before moving to a recap of our leg work from last week. Swim from the hips, not the knees is the mantra. This is something I am having trouble with. My legs hang low, I use my knees too much and I flap my legs more and more as I get tired. I just have to keep working on this.
The next phase was to put on our flippers. I hadn't worn fins before so I was shock at just how much they help. It was great fun zipping through the water. We did a few lengths just practising our leg strokes before doing some arm drills. One on our back, rotating our shoulders out of the water whilst keeping our head motionless. The second drill was to swim with one shoulder out of the water for an entire length. I enjoyed this and found it OK.
I now have to do more drills and less basic swimming in the pool according to the coach. She says that there is little point doing length after length with a poor stroke as all you will do is ingrain bad technique. So its mostly drills from now on.
I cycled in the pouring rain up past Liverpool Street Station to Market Sports gym for my first lesson with SwimForTri. I didn't really know what to expect and I had images for doing an hour of lengths and struggling. I had my new flins, pull-bouy and tight speedo jammer swimming bottoms. Was this really me?
There were 8 in the class and as we talked to Maxine, the coach, it seemed that we were all at different stages. The two other blokes in the group both looked quite athletic but said their swimming was poor. All of the class were planning a triathlon during the year. I didn't mention the Ironman, only the Blenheim tri.
We began with a couple of lengths to show Maxine our current ability. I tried to concentrate on some of the things I had read about in Don Fink's book and I did OK. Next we looked at drag and pushed off from the side in an aerodynamic (aquadynamic?) shape and then a bad shape to see the difference.
Then we did some kick drills. We had our hands together out in front and tried to go as long as possible with just kicking. If we came up to breath, we just got back in the same position afterwards. This felt harder than it should have been and it wasn't long before I was told why. My legs hang deep in the water and I kick with my knees instead of my hips. I tried to correct it during the rest of the lesson but its something I will have to work on.
We finished with some breathing exercises designed to teach us to breath out of out nose and then in through the mouth. I did feel better doing it this way then just using the mouth. It reduced the feeling that my nose if sull of water which I hate.
All in all, a good lesson. I didn't feel out of place and it is pleasing to hear others talk of the same problems and fears about swimming that I have.
I had my induction at my new gym booked for 8am today so I got up in the dark and dressed in many layers before heading out on my bike to ride down to Tooting. We don't have all the snow in London like most of the rest of the country but it is cold here and a bit icy.
I did my pointless induction ("Have you ever used a treadmill") and then went to the pool. This was my first swim in a 'proper' pool with other swimmers and I was nervous. I chose a lane with the least people and set off next to the pool-side. My aim was for 30 minutes of easy swimming, trying to think about my breathing and to relax. The first length of the 33 meter pool was fine. I felt relaxed and comfortable. However, as I turned and swam back away from the wall, I got panicky. I felt really uncomfortable with the realisation that I could not stop. Given how good I felt on the first length, I knew this was ridiculous but I couldn't stop the feeling. So I moved to the side of the pool and did my lengths next to the wall. No one seemed to get annoyed by this and I was able to complete the 30 minutes. It was a start of sorts but the thought of doing 119 lengths in less than 2:20 seems impossible.
It was then off to the gym. I did a 35 minute run on the treadmill which was OK. I had a little discomfort in my right knee which is a hangover from December's marathon. I must be mindful of it and I might need some physio when the mileage increases. I then did a lot of stretching, used the foam roller, did press-ups and then some weights. A good session.
This is actually my first week of my 30 week program but I start properly on Monday as I wasn't sure what condition my leg would be in after the operation. Thankfully it seems fine.
I've never been much of a swimmer. Not because I tried and failed but because I never really tried. I did learn to swim when I was at school and I passed the usual distance badges but I never took it further. Then, I got very body conscious and decided that taking my top off was not nice for anyone.
It has taken many many years, a desire for a new challenge and a great wife telling me not to be so stupid. Centre Parks was a great place to start. Compared to some of the people there, I look like an athlete. As I mentioned in my previous post, the first swim was a splash around with the kids and the second was a proper 40 minute swimming session.
I did a bit more before the end of the holiday with mixed results. I have to concentrate so hard to avoid swallowing water and as soon as I get tired, it goes to pot. I also still feel a panicky when out of my depth which I am going to have to overcome. I guess this will improve as I get more experienced and stronger.
I have changed gyms to one in Tooting which has a pool and I plan to get another few sessions in before my lessons start on the 16th.
Happy New Year to one and all. I hope your celebrations went well last night. Fairly tame hear in Centre Parks with a meal and then impressive fireworks with my wife and kids but all good fun.
I can't quite believe its 2010. It seems only yesterday I was sipping champagne and saying how shocked I was that it had changed century but that was a decade again and a lot has changed.
Looking back I achieved a long in 2009. I took up cycling again, covered nearly 4000 miles and completed the Etape. I still managed 570 miles of running and finished a very tough marathon. But that is all in the past and like a shark, I need to keep moving, focus on new goals and make plans (does a shark make plans). And that of course, is the marathon and the ironman.
With this in mind, I really want to start training. Its been over two weeks since the operation and its all going well. I had my stitches out on Tuesday and all my wounds are closed. I still have a bit of pain where I am bruised but nothing too bad.
After leaving my Mum's in Devon, we went to Longleat for four days in Centre Parks. I went swimming with the girls and just had a mess about and a little swim to see how I felt. I had been told by different doctors to wait between 3 and 6 weeks before exercising but I felt completely fine after the swim. No pain, no discomfort, no issues as far as I could see and feel. Foolishly or not, I declared myself fit.
So yesterday I went for my first proper swim in about 8 years. There is no dedicated swimming pool in Centre Parks but given the number of wave pools, slides, rapids and outdoor heated pools, the main pool area is not that busy. I'm guessing its about 20 meters across and I started doing laps. My aim was between 30 and 45 minutes. I think I did about 40 mins with a small wait for the wave machine half way through. I tried to concentrate on some of the technique I had seen in a swim DVD that came with a Tri220 mag. I also listened to things my daughter had told me about pointing your elbow (she is an excellent swimmer). I was fine at times but struggled to breathe when turning to my left. Got a few mouthfuls of water and had a few panics. I did 28 widths and was pleased but know I have a long way to go.
I have also done a bit of cycling with my daughter on a tag-along. She is getting big and there are a lot of hills so its hard cycling. I might have overdone it a little yesterday so I'm taking it easy today. Then back in the pool tomorrow as I want to get as confident as possible before my lessons start on the 16th.
I wish you all well with whatever plans you have for 2010. Special thoughts to Ed who is still struggling with his chest. Get well soon.
Congratulations Your entry into the IRONMAN UK 2010. has now been confirmed. Your can view your confirmed entry form, by following the link below.
Well, its done. I have committed to nearly 8 months of training and then 15 hours of struggle. I can't quite believe it. I can't picture myself standing in a wet suit at the edge of a lake in Bolton.
I have to say, it was tough getting to sleep last night. The swim part still scares me. I was sitting watching my daughter at her swim club and it dawned on me that every kid at the club is a better swimmer then me.
Goals for the next two months 1. Try not to gain weight over Christmas 2. Learn to swim (I have booked swim lessons at swimfortri.com) 3. Try to establish a weekly routine with all three disciplines
